Out of the Blue
by P Gwainbenn
Summary: The dragon had fallen out of the sky, abandoned by her pack, left to die. The human was almost an outcast because no dragon would want to bond with her. Can these two work together to heal what made them incomplete and become something whole? Backroundstory for my two OCs, no appearance of the HTTYD-cast.
1. Broken

**Copyright:** How to train your dragon and Night Furys belongs to Dreamworks and Cressida Crowell. Characters and story belong to me.

**A/N 1:** The story is set in the How to Train your Dragon-Universe, but plays somewhere in the north of Scotland. The people there have never heard of Berk, the dragon-war or Hiccup, they have been at peace with the dragons for centuries and integrated them into their society.

**A/N 2:** Dragonese is in this story a mix of body language and sounds that dragons make. It doesn't get translated literally but correspondingly, like a human would put what the dragon said into words.

**A/N4 3:** Beta was Akozu Heiwa. Thank you very much!

...********...

In retrospective, she should have known. Still, it hurt much more than her injured wing. To be simply left behind without a look back; forgotten, like she was nothing but an annoyance for her pack, for what had been her family since her mother had died.

She had screamed her fear to the dark, unresponsive sky, where she last saw them. She had even begged for their help, for the loyalty that any member of the pack, no matter how low ranking, could expect. But none of them had answered.

No one had returned for her. They had left her.

.

She waited some time. Perhaps they were just scouting the surroundings to check for imminent danger, and then they would come back, when they thought it safe enough. Surely none of them would put themselves into danger for the lowest ranking among them, for the dragon they always considered more of an obstacle than a worthy member of the pack. But even as she waited longer and time went by and her broken, useless wing hurt more with every passing moment, she herself couldn't find any danger. She was all alone, no one around her, not even the harmless animals of the forest that her crash had probably scared away.

The dragons, into whose fight she had gotten unintentionally, had gone long ago, too. None of them had, obviously, spared a look back at the dragon they had knocked out of the sky.

She could only speculate that she got involved into that fight the way she got involved into any sort of misfortune as long as she could remember. Her bad luck started right at her birth, when some angry fate gave her, unlike any other of her kind, light grey markings on her wings and back. All the others she knew were either entirely black or had slightly visible markings. She stood out like a colourful blob among them, and she always gave them away in the dark, one of the reasons why she was the least favoured member of the pack to go on a hunt with.

It didn't help that shortly after her hatching, when she was still clumsy and uncertain in her moves, she had accidently run into a branch. It had knocked back to her face, with so much force, it had hit her eye and all she remembered was pain. Pain so strong, it had made her cry out for her mother, who had crooned at her and tried to help the best she could. It had turned out despite her best trying she couldn't save her eyesight. Since then she was blind on her left side and although her right eye was perfectly fine, she was still hindered in her perception. She couldn't see anything that approached her from her left, making her wary and jumpy whenever she heard something there. It also made her a worse hunter and fighter than any other of her pack. It was no wonder she ended up on the lowest end of the ranking scale.

She had long given up on trying to change that. Even the slowest and stupidest dragon could defeat her in a fight as long as it attacked her from her blind side. She couldn't impress them with big preys as she would startle any dumb deer too early for her to catch it, or would run into a branch she couldn't see at the worst time possible.

So she settled with her rank, suffered the occasional short biting when someone wanted to fortify his own rank by humiliating her, and was just glad that she was still allowed to travel with the pack. At least she still belonged to them; she was no outcast and she could count on the little bit of support the pack gave to any member.

At least, she'd thought that.

She growled softly under her breath and tried to take another look at her useless, hurting wing. As if the pain wasn't bad enough, it was her left wing and, with the way her head was built, she couldn't even look properly at the damage done. She could only guess at how awkward it dragged behind her movements and how much it hurt and that she wasn't able to beat or even lift her wing anymore, that it was broken. Badly, it seemed.

It looked as if her misfortune had beaten down on her again. And this time it could be very well the last time. A dragon which could not fly was a dead dragon after all.

It had all happened so fast; she had had no time to react. One moment she was flying together with the others of her pack, the next she was hit with enormous force as something slammed into her bad side and knocked her straight out of the sky. She was too surprised to even try to avoid the hit; she had thought she was hidden in the dark of the night and of course she didn't see it coming. Obviously either she hadn't been (thanks to her colouring, _again_), or it had been sheer coincidence. With her luck, it might as well have been the latter.

There had been a sickening snap, pain had washed over her and her left wing wouldn't respond, let alone carry her anymore. She had fallen, screeching in pain and sheer terror, further and further, until she had hit the trees that slowed her down. She couldn't see anything as she had crushed through the plants; there was just pain and fear.

Then she had hit the hard, unresponsive earth and blacked out for a moment from the sheer force of the impact. But, as she was awake again, she had instinctively jumped to her feet, ignored the pain and tried to get back into the air, where she would be safe, where her pack would be, but she hadn't been able to do so. Her wing had betrayed her. No matter how desperate she had tried to beat it, there had just been pain. She couldn't gain any height; she couldn't even move it properly.

She had been chained to the earth.

At this point she had called for the help of her pack, for them to return. But her screams hadn't been met with an answer. They had left without even looking back!

And now that she had waited here for so long, she slowly lost the last bit of her faith. They wouldn't return. They had moved on, they were probably even glad that they finally got rid of her presence.

She was alone.

She wailed as pure terror took over. She knew that she was doomed to die. With a broken wing she couldn't fly, she couldn't hunt; she would starve to death, and, if not, an infection would kill her.

She closed her eyes, curled into herself and accepted her fate. She didn't even realise that she blacked out, finally giving in to the pain and stress.

.

...***...

.

Cailin was startled awake in an instant as a strange scream echoed through the night. Eyes wide open to try and see in the darkness of her small chamber, she listened hard. There, it was again. Powerful, scary, but at the same time very desperate and filled with so much loneliness and fear, it made her heart ache.

Which animal made such a sound? She had never heard anything like that before. It couldn't be one of the animals that lived on their island. And a dragon? She knew all the dragons on Eilean, and none of them cried like that.

Curiosity made her slide from her simple haybed and go to the door of the healers-house where she was allowed to stay. She stared into the darkness and, as the cry repeated itself one last time, she could make out a vague direction. Perhaps she could take a look when she had some spare time. In the dark it didn't make much sense, so she went back to bed, although it took her some time to get asleep again. That desperate wail kept her awake.

.

The next morning, she had to make some herbal teas, but after that, her teacher gave her the permission to go into the forest and collect some more herbs.

She learned how to treat the ill and injured from their villages healer, as no one else wanted to teach her a profession. Cailin was comfortable with that; she liked the handling of the herbs, the treatment of the ill and when they eventually get better. It was a work that suited her and she was glad that Maisie was willing to teach her.

Besides liking the work, it also served her well, as it would get her at least somehow noticed. Cailin was neither extraordinarily beautiful nor strong nor rich, nor did she have any other reputation that would give her some status. She was just the healers apprentice and, of course, the girl _without a dragon._

Her people had been riding dragons for centuries; it was not only normal for any children to pick a dragon at an early age, it was what defined their life and status within the village. They lived with dragons, they hunted with them; dragons defended their village and people, and her people did practically everything from the back of a dragon.

But unfortunately it was not a one-side-choice. Not only did the human choose the dragon he wanted to live with, the dragon also had to choose the human. And that was the point where Cailin had failed.

As she went as a child together with the other children to the dragon-caves, no dragon would even _sniff_ at her. All other children returned with a dragon, she returned alone.

She had tried it numerous times since then, every time without any success. She didn't know why. She had taught herself Dragonese, the language of the dragons, and spoke it better than anyone else in the village, but the moment she asked a dragon if it would like to share its life with her, she always got an outright 'no.'

They told her, she was not the right human for them; that they didn't feel the _connection_, whatever that might be. She never found out why the other children had no such problems, when they choose their dragons. But the effects that the dragon's strange stubbornness had had on her life were easy to see. She might not be a bad person, but the fact that no dragon wanted to stay with her made her some kind of outcast.

Everyone had a dragon. She was the only exception. Therefore, something must be wrong with her. Probably she was cursed by some god or inherited some bad fate?

Whatever it was, if not even a single dragon from the many, many ones, that lived on the island was able to trust her, no human could be expected to do so as well, and so she was left alone most of her life. People talked to her if they had to, they accepted the medicine that she made, but they avoided any further contact.

Cailin had been surprised that Maisie had actually agreed on taking her as an apprentice, but it was probably because no one else wanted to do the job, as most other teenagers were not interested in medicine or just too dumb to be trusted with complicated healing.

.

Anyway, Cailin grabbed her herb-bag and went outside. As usual, no one noticed her and she got into the forest without someone even greeting her. She was long used to that and didn't bother. Instead she tried to remember the direction from where she had heard the strange scream last night and headed for it.

She watched for any unusual signs on her way, but found nothing. Everything was like it should be. Perhaps she had dreamed or whatever had screamed was long gone. But her curiosity made her keep watching, and so she went further and further into the forest. She picked some herbs from time to time; she didn't want to waste her time entirely if she found nothing.

And as she had almost given up, she saw it.

A broken branch. And another one. A whole tree looked like something big had crashed right through it.

Cailin stepped carefully closer, trying to make no noise at all. She was almost sure she stopped breathing, as she climbed over a bunch of broken down branches that still had lots of leaves to them and hindered her sight and could finally see what laid behind. On the other side laid something dark, something _big_. Very careful to avoid any sound that might startle the beast she crept closer.

As she had a clear sight, she couldn't help but take a deep, surprised breath.

In front of her laid a dragon, but a kind of dragon she'd never seen before. It was relatively small, but had the sleek, elegant body of a fast and agile being. Its main wings were bigger in comparison to the body than every wingspan she ever saw; this dragon was surely a very good flyer. It also had a smaller set of wings at the base and at the tip of its tail two fins. But the most outstanding feature were the dragon's dark scales. They weren't completely black- there were lighter blue-grey markings along the edge of the wings and fins, some legs and the back of the dragon, but it was still the darkest scale-colour she'd ever seen. This surely was no ordinary dragon.

It didn't move and laid totally motionless.

Was it still alive?

Cailin carefully crept closer and sighed with relief as she found the broad chest was still moving with breaths. So it _was_ still alive.

But it was apparently unconscious, as it didn't acknowledge her presence and didn't move any further.

Cailin cleared her throat, first quietly, then louder. The dragon didn't stir. It must've been out cold from the crash.

To check for injuries she circled the dragon carefully and couldn't help but yelp, as she noted the awkward angle the left wing lay on the ground. She had seen enough broken wings to recognise immediately what had happened. It probably broke during the crash and at least in one place. The dragon couldn't be able to fly with such an injury and she knew what that meant. Death.

The tamed dragons of the village could survive a broken wing, because they would get cared for and fed, but not a wild dragon. With this injury it wouldn't be able to hunt and would starve before the wing healed on its own. It needed care. The problem was, that it might just not accept it. Not from her with her dragon-scaring-history.

Cailin shot another close look to the dark dragon, but it was still deeply unconscious. Probably she could at least care for that wing right now and leave some fish in the vicinity. Perhaps it would accept that much from her and she could keep it alive long enough for the wing to heal. And right now, with the dragon unconscious, it couldn't stop her from treating that wing. It might be the only chance she got.

Healer training kicked in and Cailin went for her bag. She hadn't brought bandages with her, but a part of her skirt would do the job too. Without wasting any more time, she set to work. She ripped her underskirt into small strips and prepared a mix of herbs that would cool the broken bone. Then she searched for a branch she could use to immobilize the wing as best as possible. After she found a decent one, she examined the broken bones. Thankfully, as far as she could tell, they were only broken at one point and fairly easy to bring back into their correct position. After that she put some of her herbs to the wing and started to bandage it to keep the dragon from moving it. The bones had to stay in the correct position or they would grow at the wrong parts together and might prevent any future flight. Cailin wrapped her improvised bandages as closely as possible around the bones and the branch and then bound the wing to the dragon's side so it couldn't beat it anymore and had to keep it unmoving. She tried to do that in a way that the dragon couldn't reach; if it tore the bandages apart, her labour would be futile.

After she was done, she took a step back and examined her work. It was the best she could do right now with the limited supplies she had here. Unfortunately, she had no fish or meat with her, she would need to return. Hopefully the dragon was still there then.

Cailin couldn't help but took another close look.

She still wondered what kind of dragon it was. It was a relatively young female, that much she saw right now, but of no species she could recall. She should probably take a look at the Book of Dragons, when she was back in the village.

For another moment Cailin stared at the smooth, elegant lines of the dragons body, but then she reminded herself, that she still had work to do. And she had better hurry, if she wanted to return to bring some fish for the dragon and still get her work in the nursery done.

After one last glance she turned on her heels and went back to the village.


	2. Pending

**Copyright:** How to train your dragon and Night Furys belongs to Dreamworks and Cressida Crowell. Characters and story belong to me.

**A/N:** Beta was Akozu Heiwa. Thank you very much!

.

..

It was late evening when she next had some spare time at her disposal. She grabbed a basket of fish from the dragon's feeding station and crept away in the forest. She had to wander for some time, and started to doubt if she remembered the way correctly, but finally she saw the broken tree. The dragon however was nowhere to be seen.

So she must have woken up.

Cailin looked around carefully, but could not detect any movement or traces where the dragon might have gone. She was seemingly alone.

At least she also couldn't detect any torn apart bandages, so there was hope that her improvised treatment still lasted.

Since she couldn't spot any trace of the injured dragon, she had no other choice than to drop her basket, spill its contents, and then move away. If she was lucky, the dragon hadn't moved too far, and would find the fish and eat it. Right now she couldn't do much more and had no other choice than to return to the village, although Cailin decided to return the next morning.

.

.

As she woke up, everything still hurt, but that was not what set her on alert. There was the smell of a human!

Immediately, she jumped to her feet, ready to defend herself. She bared her teeth and growled menacingly while she tried to see the threat. But even after turning a full circle, she couldn't see anyone. She was alone.

But she was quite sure there had been a human near her, because she couldn't move her injured wing anymore. With a panicked cry, she tried again to move her wing, but to no effect. It seemed to be bound to her body with things that smelled so disgustingly _human_. Someone had been here while she had been out; a human had _touched_ her without her even noticing, while she was unable to defend herself. It was disgusting, it was strange, and it scared her to no end. She wanted it gone! But she couldn't even see what the human had done, not on her blind side.

Growling with frustration she let herself fall to the ground and tried to bite the things off, but she couldn't get her mouth close enough to the restrictions she felt were running around her body. Next she tried to claw them away, but the human must have known what it had been doing: once again, she couldn't reach it.

Crying with distress, she rolled around on her back, tried to scrap the odd things of on rocks and branches and just managed to make her injured wing throb with pain again.

After an exceptionally bad hit on a tree she yelped with pain and gave up further tries. She couldn't get rid of the things that humiliated her and stole the last bit of her pride. As if being knocked out of the sky and abandoned from her own pack hadn't been bad enough.

With a desperate wail she let herself fall on the ground, exhausted. She was doomed to die anyway, why fight it further?

She could already feel her stomach growl, but she knew she had no chance of catching any prey. Not in her present state.

With another wail she closed her eyes and accepted her fate. She might as well lay here and await her death. So she waited.

.

She didn't know how long she laid there motionless as a noise startled her. Something big was moving through the forest and the wind brought the smell of a human to her sensitive nose. She recognised this scent immediately. Although her futile attempts at getting rid of the human restrictions had torn away their stench, she remembered it quite clearly. It had burned into her memory with the humiliation she felt every time she tried to move her wing and found it bound against her body.

It was that human _again_.

Did it come to laugh at her? Or to kill her for good? She had heard the tales of the humans in the north… that they killed dragons. Did this one return to kill her as well?

And although she was moments ago ready to meet her death, she just couldn't bring herself to let a human kill her. She had at least one last bit of pride left. She might have been abandoned by her own pack, declared useless and just an obstacle, but she would not let a human kill her. She would not sink _that_ deep.

So she jumped to her feet once more and disappeared into the forest, away from the human.

As she thought the distance was safe, she perked her ear fins up and listened. What would the human do, when it found her gone?

She expected an angry yell but nothing came. There was just silence. Luckily the human also didn't go searching for her; it must have thought her gone. Didn't it know that she couldn't fly with only one wing? It must be really stupid.

.

For an eternity nothing happened and she caught herself at the curious thought of what the human had _done_. Did it leave? Did it stay? But why should it?

And then something new hit her nose and made her stomach growl even louder than it already did. The scent of fish.

How did fish come into the middle of the forest? And it came from the direction she fled because of the human.

So it was trying to lure her back with a bait of fish.

She growled angrily. She might be desperate, but not foolish! She would never fall for the trap of a _human_!

Determined she turned and crept further into the forest. Perhaps she could find a prey that was stupid enough to get caught by her.

.

As it turned out, she didn't find any. For seemingly hours she wandered through the trees and tried to find something she could eat, just to find nothing. And then the smell of the fish hit her nose again. The wind must have changed direction and she obviously came close to _that_ spot again without even noticing. She was getting careless.

And she was hungry. Her last meal had been two days ago and although she could go some time without eating she was injured and very, very hungry. Her stomach hurt, but she still refused to give in. She would not get in the humans trap! She would not lose the rest of her dignity!

But as time went by and her hunger was growing even more – she wouldn't have thought that possible – she came to the conclusion that she could at least take a look. It was the deepest, darkest night now and she knew that humans couldn't see very well in the dark. She had the edge over it now.

She hesitated one more moment, but then another wave of _delicious_ smell hit her and she found herself moving without even noticing.

She was very careful, crept from deep shadow to shadow and had all her senses on full alert. But she could not find any trace of the human, just a shallow stench in the air that was some hours old. It wasn't here?

She hesitated once more and scanned the surroundings again for any sign of the human, just to find nothing. It was truly gone! And it left the fish.

Her stomach growled again and she couldn't help herself any more. She stepped into the small opening that her crash had created. No human charged at her, no trap sprung upon her. Nothing happened at all.

She was alone with a pile of fish. Granted, it was old right now and smelled after laying in the dirt for the greatest part of the day, but it was _fish_, it was food and she was too hungry to be picky any more. Still she got herself enough self-preservation instincts to check for poison. She found nothing. For all she knew, it was perfectly fine fish.

That was enough for her and soon she found herself gulping it down as fast as possible. It tasted wonderful. It tasted of _life_.

Perhaps she wouldn't starve this week.

.

After finishing her meal she went once more to find a safe place to sleep. She needed to rest. She could decide what to do then; right now all she wanted was some rest.

Finally she found a small overhang she could hide under; she scorched the ground to warm it and then laid down, closed her eyes and fell asleep.

.

.

When Cailin managed to get away from the village the next day, it was almost evening. She was more confident to find the way now and soon reached her destination at the broken tree. As she had expected she could not see any dragon but to her joy the fish was gone. So the dragoness had found it and fed. Very well!

With a wide grin, Cailin dropped the contents of her basket and another load of fish spilled on the forest floor. She didn't know if the dragon was still near, but if she was, she would find it.

If she was lucky she could keep it at least fed and alive that way and she was perfectly fine with that. She would have liked it more if she could check on the broken wing, but she understood that the wild dragon wouldn't trust her, let alone let her touch her. So it was down to feeding right now. Perhaps it would be enough to keep her alive and healing.

After a final look for the silent trees around, Cailin turned to heed back to her village.

.

As she woke up, she felt strangely content. She wasn't hungry anymore and her left wing hurt less. She turned to lick at it, but couldn't reach it. Damn human!, she thought. It had bound the wing so far back, that she couldn't even groom it! How was she supposed to keep herself clean? Granted, she couldn't reach her back at her best times- her anatomy just didn't allow that- but right now she felt even more restricted.

With a low growl she started to clean at least the rest of her that she could reach. That took some time, but she didn't mind. She was not hungry and there was no apparent danger nearby. After she was done licking her scales and cleaning herself as good as possible, she jumped to the rock she had slept under. There was a small patch of sun hitting the stone and she promptly laid down there and stretched in the warmth.

Soon she closed her eyes and dozed off.

.

It must have been the late afternoon as she finally woke again. Of course she was hungry _again_. She almost sighted. Apparently her healing process needed much more energy than she would normally need.

Just great. She would still starve.

Just as she thought that, the smell of fish hit her nose.

Fish? Again?

She jerked her head up and sniffed in the direction the smell came from. The same clearing as yesterday? And the same human again?

Wary and hungry she got to her feet and sniffed again. It _was_ the smell of that human. It had been there again?

Now curiosity took over. Sometimes she damned the curiosity of her kind but once picked it became an irresistible force and she felt well enough to risk giving in. After all it has been always the smell of just one human, a female as far as she could tell and not the strongest one either. And since she still felt very well, the fish had not been poisoned, so there seemed to be no immediate harm.

Still, she was very careful and stayed always in the shadows low to the ground to keep the human from spotting her as she crept closer to the small opening. No human was there, she was alone with another pile of fish.

Saliva started to collect in her mouth; she _was_ hungry after all. After checking the surroundings and again finding no danger she stepped in the opening and after a short sniff she started to eat the fish. It tasted so _good_! She gulped it down as fast as possible- who knew if the human wouldn't come back after all? But she was not interrupted and could finish her meal in peace.

After a final lick to gather some leftover fish oil she turned again and returned to her sleeping place, careful to not leave any trace of her way. She didn't trust that human, after all.

.

.

Cailin didn't see the dragon again, but every time she arrived with another basket of fish, the old one had been gone. So it was still eating it. At least she hoped it was the dragon and not just a bunch of wolves, but they weren't that fond of fish, so chances were good that the dragon was still alive.

Until today she didn't had enough time for it, but now there wasn't that much to do and Maisie gave her the evening free. Since she had already fed the dragon in the woods, she went for the Meeting Hall where the Book of Dragons was kept. It was time to gather some information.

She often read in the books so no one questioned her right to be there and no one cared as she carried the thick leather bound codex to an empty table and started to flip through the pages. There were many dragon species listed in the book and it took some time. She skipped through seemingly endless pages with dragons that looked nothing like the one she found in the forest. Perhaps there wasn't even any information about that dragon available? But just as she thought she wouldn't find anything useful within the pages of the book she opened a page that made her hold her breath.

That was it. That was the dragon that hid in the woods.

Cailin leaned closer to the pages and started to read the little information that was written there. Apparently there was a very rare dragon species called Night Fury. There was only a scribbly illustration, but it showed the characteristics she had observed on the crashed dragon. Relatively small size, large main wings, smaller wing set at the base of the tail, two fins at the tip of the tail, a dark colour of the scales and a sleek and elegant body. Apparently Night Furies were nomads, and, since the breed itself was rare and they used to travel in the dark, it was even rarer to spot one. No wonder information was scarce. The book only said that they were rumoured to breathe a blue, explosive fire and are known further north as "the unholy offspring of lightning and death" and greatly feared. There were warnings that they are very dangerous and should be avoided at all costs.

Apparently not a cuddly dragon, Cailin thought.

Should she heed the warning and not return to the forest the next day?

But, then again, the dragon had not harmed her until now. She didn't even see it and it obviously preferred to stay out of sight and avoid direct contact. It shouldn't be too dangerous to dump her load of fish every day and, besides, she was a healer. She had sworn to treat any injured being and that also included a rogue dragon-lady, that would otherwise starve and die. It was her responsibility.

Thereby the decision was made. She would return to the forest tomorrow.


	3. Tiptoeing

**Copyright:** How to Train Your Dragon and Night Furies belongs to Dreamworks and Cressida Crowell. Characters and story belong to me.

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**A/N:** Beta was Akozu Heiwa. Thank you very much!

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The next day, the procedure repeated. She woke up to enjoy some lazy time in the sun and then this delicious smell of fish alerted her of her dinner nearing. After she waited some time to be sure that the human had left, she came to gather her meal. Again, she was not disturbed and there was no sign of any trap the human might have set up.

Her curiosity grew. Why did the human do that? If it didn't want to kill her, why did it bring her fish? Weren't humans and dragons enemies?

Her curiosity grew so strong that she decided to get some more information.

The next morning she woke up early and stalked to the opening. A good place to hide was easily found and with some effort she climbed a tree. She sat down on a branch where the leaves would hide her and prepared for some waiting time.

Indeed, after the sun had moved some space, she heard the tell-telling signs of a human coming closer. Immediately, she snapped to full alarm, perked her ears up, and ducked low on the branch.

Soon the footsteps of a human grew louder and she was finally able to see the person that brought her meal. As she had already read in her odour, it was a female, rather small and lean. Except for the thing in which she carried the fish, she didn't bring anything with her, certainly no weapons.

That human definitely didn't look menacing. While she watched, it dumped the fish on the floor, took a look around, and then turned to leave again. No preparations for a trap, it just dropped the fish and left. But why did it do that?

And then she got a very stupid idea.

She jumped down the tree she had been hiding in, landed almost silently on the ground, and crept behind the human. She didn't know why she suddenly acted so stupid and careless; she could only explain it with the curiosity of her kind. This human had picked her interest and, since she was rather certain she could overpower it, she needed to satisfy her desire to know why. At least it seemed to be quite safe.

So she followed the human long enough to be sure it was still alone and no one else was hiding in the forest. Then she circled it silently and suddenly stepped out of the shadows and into the female's way.

.

Cailin's thoughts had been wandering and she hadn't paid much attention to the way she was heading. That was a mistake, as suddenly some bushes in front of her moved and the dark dragon stepped out and into her way.

She was so startled and surprised, she dropped the empty basket.

That had come unexpected.

Immediately, she pulled herself together and forced herself to remain calm. The dragon hadn't attacked her until now, perhaps she was just curious. She certainly hoped she was not hunting, but then she probably would have attacked her already and not simply stepped out into plain sight.

Instinctively, she used what she had learned about Dragonese and made herself small and unthreatening. She opened her hands and showed them to the dragon, so she could see that she was not armed.

The dragon just stood there and watched her with her intensive stare. And then Cailin noticed that the dragon had only one good eye. The right one was an acid green-yellow and stared at her with utmost intensity, but the other was a ghostly white and, if the old scar that run over it was any sign, the dragon was blind in it.

How did she survive so long while being half-blind?

But Cailin pulled herself together; this was certainly not the right time for such musings. There was a potentially very dangerous dragon staring at her from just some feet away, and she better concentrate on _that_.

It took all her will-strength to draw her eyes away from the dark dragon and look harmlessly down, telling the dragon in her own language _I mean no harm to you, I won't hurt you_.

A low growl reached her eyes and as she dared to glance up shortly, she saw the dragon had drawn her lips back to show some impressive teeth. She still didn't attack though and Cailin caught herself thinking that, first, the bandages were still in place, although dirty and ragged and, second, that this was the most beautiful dragon she'd ever seen.

Granted, she'd considered Nadders the most beautiful dragons until now; they had bright, vibrant colours and they were fast and speedy, but they could not compare to the dark beauty and pure elegance of the Night Fury in front of her.

And then the dragon turned and vanished as silently and abrupt as she had come, not leaving any trace behind.

Cailin was alone again.

She needed to take a deep breath to keep her heart from beating in her throat and tried to get her bearings back, while adrenaline rushed through her veins.

She didn't know how long she sat there staring into the bushes, but finally she realized that the dragon was gone and wouldn't return.

She needed all her strength to get back to her feet and continued her way home. Still she had goosebumps on her arms.

.

She didn't know what she had expected, some screaming and attacking probably. Maybe she had thought that she would need to attack the human to defend herself.

She had not expected _this_.

The human female remained calm, although she noted very well the increased breathing and heartbeat. She was surprised, scared probably, but still she didn't move and she didn't attack. She just stared at her and then she ducked, made herself small and unthreatening, and showed her empty appendages.

The message was all too clear. _I mean no harm to you._

And that irritated her; she didn't know how to react to _this_. So the only thing that came to the raging mess that was her mind was to growl at her, tell her that she wouldn't allow her to play games with her, that she better take her _seriously_. And then she fled the scene, fled the strange human that had set her so off balance in a single moment.

It took some time to get the confusion out of her system. That human was very strange, indeed. So it was not true that all humans immediately attacked dragons, right? But perhaps she just surprised her and caught her off guard and the next time she would bring a weapon or some other humans with her to finish her off?

Or perhaps she wouldn't.

She didn't know any more what to think and the pure curiosity was stronger than ever. That human was a riddle and she caught herself with the desire to solve it. She wanted to know why the female acted like she acted.

Oh, her curiosity would get her surely killed someday!

But, otherwise, without the strange human, she would have already starved to death.

She growled in confusion and decided to get some food before she wondered again. The fish was still where she left it and she gulped it down as fast as possible. There was still a chance the human would turn and head back here to do... whatever she intended to do.

But no one came and she could eat unstartled.

She left for her sleeping place as soon as possible.

There she curled on her usual spot, closed her eyes and tried to make any sense out of what just happened. She wasn't very successful, but even more curious than ever before. And she made a decision. It might be very stupid, but she had nothing to lose and she wanted to _know_.

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The next day, she hid in the forest near the place where she had confronted the human. She waited some time, because she knew all too well that patience could make the difference between win and fail. Unfortunately, her restricted wing had been feeling itchy since she woke up that day. She had tried to ignore it, but it grew worse the longer she'd laid motionless, hidden in the plants. Finally she couldn't help herself anymore and rubbed the wing against the nearest tree trunk, since she couldn't reach it with her claws or mouth. It eased some of the itchy feeling but it also made her wing hurt again and she growled softly.

Suddenly she blinked in surprise as she realized what had seemingly surpassed her attention the last days: her wing didn't hurt anymore. Not the way it did after her crash. So whatever the human had done had helped her? But she didn't get a chance to ponder on those thoughts as she finally heard the footsteps coming closer.

Immediately she snapped back to attention on the task at hand and searched the surroundings for any more humans. She didn't find any. The female was alone.

She started to follow her but even as she drew silent circles around her, looking for something extraordinary or out of place, all she found was the usual human with the basket full of fish. So she didn't bring reinforcements.

She followed the human female to the small clearing and watched her as she took her look around, didn't see her, and assumed she was alone. She gave a huff of air that seemingly resembled a sigh, emptied the basket full of wonderful fish, and turned to leave.

And again, some very crazy notion must have been driving her, because she stepped out into clear sight again and made herself known to the human.

The female immediately froze on the spot, but there was something on her, that was different from yesterday. She wasn't startled that much and she seemed strangely _happy_. She made an interesting thing with her face that showed her harmless, blunt teeth. Was she threatening her? But she couldn't really expect someone to be intimidated by _those_ teeth and she didn't carry other weapons, none of the metal the humans were said to use. She didn't make another threatening move; instead she made herself small again and told her, that she was harmless. So this teeth-showing was a human thing and didn't mean what it would for her kind?

She stepped slowly around the opening, careful not to come any closer to the human and always keeping her right side to her, observing her intensely.

She still hadn't moved. She just sat there, showing her that she was harmless and would not want to hurt her. And she believed her, although that didn't make her loosen her acute attention.

Finally, she came to a stop opposite of the human and waited for what she would do now.

The human looked as confused and insecure as she felt and, for an endless moment, she didn't do anything at all.

Then the human retreated slowly from the pile of fish and suddenly made the appropriate sound and gesture to tell her: _It is yours_.

She spoke Dragonese well for being a human so limited with her articulation and voice. Still, she didn't trust her.

She growled back at her: _Move farther away from it, I don't trust you!_

For one moment, she wondered if the human understood her, but then the female made some careful slow and demonstrative harmless moves away from the fish. So she _did_ understand her.

That surprised her even further, no dragon she knew ever said something about humans being able to understand them, to even speak their language. But here she stood and talked to a human.

She was hungry, so she walked slowly, carefully forward until she was able to snatch the fish nearest to her from the pile and gulp it down whole. As usually it tasted _good_. And it made her wonder.

_Why?_ she asked the human, still with the low growl in her voice that told of no complete trust.

The human thought for a while, then she explained awkwardly: _I heal. It is what I do_.

_You don't want to kill me?_

The human shook her head very slowly, something even she understand. _No. I give life not death._

She was no expert with human communication but even she could tell that she was not lying. She told the truth, her whole body said that. Still she didn't trust her.

_Why this?_ She made an annoyed flip of her head in the direction of her injured wing. _You attacked me!_

The human shook her head, still careful not to move too fast or abrupt. _No. I made it heal._

_It hurts!_ She hissed at her.

_It is broken. It needs rest. It needs to heal. It must not be moved._ The female explained.

She just growled at that. _It is feeling itchy_!

As if the wing had heard her, it started to itch again and with an angry growl she slammed her body against the nearest tree to ease the annoying feeling.

Suddenly the human gave a sharp human sound that made her jump and outright snarl at her.

Immediately the human ducked in submission and hummed softly to calm her down. _Easy!_

She just got a growl in return that needed no words to get her intensions across.

But the human didn't run away. She held her ground and started to talk again, although she kept her voice calm and low and non-threatening. _The bandages are old, I have to check the bones and refresh the bandages to keep them from itching._

As she growled at the mere thought of a _human_ _touching_ her, the female looked up again and said with astonishing determination _It will not heal if it isn't treated!_

_Heal_. For the first time during this awkward conversation she registered fully what that meant. It meant that someday her wing might carry her again. That she would be whole again, that she would be able to touch the sky again, to be where she longed to be, where her true home was. It meant she could still get out of this _alive_.

And it also meant she would have to allow a _human_ to touch an injured wing on her blind side where she wouldn't be able to see her at all. It meant she had to fully _trust_ a human.

And that was _impossible_.

Suddenly totally confused, she yanked away, turned around and run from this human, from the insane possibility she had raised.

She would rather die than let a human touch her! She might have been the lowest of her pack but even _she_ had some dignity.

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She didn't return to the pile of fish, although she could still smell it all the way to her sleeping place. It was tempting, but scared the wits out of her as well, because it meant to face the place where the human had given her _hope_.

She was restless.

Her wing had started to hurt again and it was itching like ants had suddenly decided to build a nest under the damned restrictions she still couldn't get off. And her mind hummed with the possibility to live after all. But at what price? She couldn't trust a human. She would hurt her, like everything that had come to her from her blind side had. She wouldn't be able to see her; she might as well starve to death than die from a weapon to the heart.

But the latter would be faster and less painful, a part of her said.

She growled. She would _not_ let a human touch her! She would _not_ depend on a human to live!

_She already did as she accepted the fish from the female,_ that annoying part of her reminded her.

She was so frustrated and confused she clawed the ground beneath her, and, as that was not nearly enough to calm the raging mess that was her soul right now, she breathed her deadly fire at a near standing tree. It immediately incinerated, but even the burning remnants did nothing to soothe her temper and solve the confusion that had overrun her without any warning.

She absolutely didn't know what to do for the first time in her life. She was alone without a pack, without anyone who cared for her. She had no one she could ask for advice. And even worse: she had been left to die by those that should have been the ones to care for her, to protect her. She had been abandoned, she was on her own.

She was doomed to die.

The only person that cared about her was a gawky human female, who she should absolutely _not_ trust if anything ever told to her was true. But she had also been told since her first days that a pack never abandoned one of theirs and that was exactly what her pack had done.

If that 'truth' was wrong, what else was wrong too?

And she knew with absolute clearness, that she just had two options: trust the human and live or mistrust her and die.

And for all that was worth, she _wanted_ to live, desperately. She _wanted_ to touch the sky again, she _wanted_ to be able to soar through the clouds again, she _wanted_ to be free again and not chained to the unforgiving earth and die in the dust and mud.

And heck, if it meant, she had to trust a human, than so shall it be.

She could only win, after all.

.

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Cailin was surprised as the dragon suddenly appeared behind her. She didn't hear her coming.

She should have been afraid, instead she was ecstatic. She was not only still here, she also showed herself again. That could just be good news, right?

Her hope seemed true as she talked with the Night Fury. The dragon not only seemed to understand her, she also was way easier to talk to than any other dragon she met. She was _smart_.

And then she left without any further word, just at the moment where she had thought they had reached an understanding.

It all crumbled at Cailin's feet in an instant.

She failed. She not only failed in making the dragon see that she only wanted to help her, she also managed to scare her away, probably for good. She was almost certain she wouldn't see the dark dragon ever again.

Angry, she smashed her fist against the next tree. She started to think that her people and the dragons were right: she just couldn't deal with a dragon on a regular basis. She'd screw it always up. It was really no wonder that no dragon wanted to give her his trust if she was such a failure!

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She went back to the nursery and to her work but she couldn't really concentrate on it. She could still see the dark dragon vanish into the forest.

Her failure.

Again.

She pounded onto the herbs in her mortar like she wanted to turn them to dust, but she couldn't bring herself to care. Desperation and anger on herself and the wish to understand _why_ the Night Fury had fled... it all run amok in her head.

What had she done wrong? Where exactly did she fail? She couldn't find something wrong in her words. She just didn't understand the dragon's reaction.

So her thoughts run in circles without reaching any conclusion. She just didn't understand! And that meant she couldn't correct her mistake the next time she might get into such a situation. As if she would ever meet such a dragon again.

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Finally she went to bed, although she was still too agitated to find true rest. So she just threw herself from one side of the hay to the other, until she finally fell into a light sleep that couldn't bring any real relief.

As she woke the next morning, she felt like she hadn't slept at all.

She was restless as she did her usual work and couldn't concentrate truly.

Finally she was fed up with the pondering of the same doubts all over again. She decided to give it one last shot. As unlikely as it was, perhaps she didn't scare the dragon away for good.

So she grabbed the usual basket, filled it with fish and walked to the opening deep in the forest, down the path that was by now so familiar to her.

She didn't expect to see anything.

How surprised was she as her eyes fell on the dark form of the Night Fury that sat on the other side of the opening, awaiting her.


	4. Building Trust

**Copyright:** How to train your dragon and Night Furys belongs to Dreamworks and Cressida Crowell. Characters and story belong to me.

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**A/N:** No beta this time!

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For a moment she was just shocked. She honestly hadn't expected to see her ever again. But there she was, and not only that, she also had sat down and was not ready to pounce at her any moment if she made one wrong move like the last times she saw her.

Cailin was so surprised that she could just stare.

The dragon stared right back without moving as much as an ear flap. She sat totally still and silent like a strange figure.

Then Cailin managed to get her astonishment under control and she took one careful step into the opening.

Still, the dragon didn't move or flinched in her stance for a moment.

Cailin let the basket drop to her feet and cast a fast look around. They were alone, the fish was gone. So she had returned eventually and ate it.

Since Cailin had no idea what else she should do, she told the dragon again, that the fish was for her.

She just twitched with her tail tip once, and then proceeded to stare at her like she was trying to come to a solution without bothering to get up for the fish.

For a very long awkward moment they just looked at each other.

And then the dragon rose to her feet in one single fluid and _fast_ motion, that almost made Cailin jump back.

_You said you wanted to help. To heal,_ she finally broke the silence.

Cailin nodded carefully. _Yes._

_Do it._ The dragon said and Cailin almost fell over in shock.

She just allowed her to touch her? She really did? It was no hallucination?

Then she came to her senses again.

_I have nothing here to help. I didn't expect you to return,_ she said honestly.

The dragon tilted her head and she was sure she saw a frown in that astonishingly expressive face.

_I have to get my supplies,_ she added hastily. _I can be back fast, you just have to wait. Will you do that?_

The dragon gave her a mistrusting look again, but then she nodded.

_Get them,_ she almost ordered.

Cailin nodded, got to her feet and was about to turn and run home, as she remembered the fish.

_Have some meal in the meantime!,_ she invited the dragon and spilled the fish on the floor, than she got the basket and started her dash back to the nursery.

.

She slipped in as unobtrusive as possible, set the basket back at its place and gathered the supplies she would need. This time she wouldn't need to use workarounds, she could finally treat that wing correctly!

As she had gathered all she would need, she slipped out again and made a run back to the opening. She really hoped the Night Fury hadn't changed her mind in the meantime and was still there.

.

She was lucky; the dragon awaited her.

_I got it!,_ she said breathlessly as she came to a sliding stop. She _had_ run rather fast back, after all. Then she sat her bag down and started to dig through her supplies.

As she had everything she would need sorted out before her, she carefully and slowly approached the dragon.

But the closer she got, the more she saw that the dragon still didn't trust her. She might have told her to help her, but she tensed, ready to pounce, with every step she came closer. Before she was even near enough to touch her muzzle, she was growling at her and bared her teeth, although Cailin got the impression, it was more an instinctive reaction than conscious thought. The Night Fury had risen from her former relatively relaxed seating position to a tensed stance, that spoke all too clearly _I don't trust you, don't come closer!_

It seemed, instincts were hard to fight.

Cailin stopped dead in her tracks and thought frankly of what to do right now. How did she get the edgy dragon to trust her?

She must still see her as a thread and that was just _laughable_. She was small, weak, she didn't have a weapon and a powerful dragon that could break her neck with one move, that could flame her in an instant, was _afraid_ of her?

Well, that was _certainly_ something new.

But it didn't help her right now the least bit, so what should she do?!

Perhaps, if she gave up every bit of defence she might have, if she surrendered completely to the dragon?

She had no better idea, so she swallowed hard and closed her eyes. She turned her head away, ducked a little bit and thus exposed her vulnerable neck for the dragon. Then she raised her hand very slowly and turned the empty hand upside down to show that she hold nothing that could harm her opponent. She was not only absolutely defenceless; she also trusted the dragon not to bite off her hand or her head by the way. With closed eyes she'd no chance to avoid an attack.

And then she waited. It was the Night Fury's move now.

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She was shaking with emotions. Her conscious mind told her, she must trust the human or she would die. Still all her instincts screamed at her to either defend herself and flame the human into the ground or run away before that hand could touch her.

It took all her willpower to stay in one spot, still she felt how her whole body tensed and went into fighting mode. Every step the human came closer it became increasingly difficult to stay at her place, and without even noticing she started to growl and threaten the human, although she had given her the permission to touch her, earlier. She just couldn't keep her instincts at bay, that told her, that this was wrong, that this was dangerous, that she would get hurt, get _killed_...

The human must felt it, for she stopped suddenly.

And then she did something impossible.

She closed her eyes, exposed her neck, she made herself small in front of her. She _surrendered_ to _her_.

Never before had _anyone_ surrendered to her. She had always been the last in the line, _she_ had been the one that had to cower before anyone else. But here was this human, that showed her with every inch of her body _I trust you, I surrender to you, I _submit_ to you._

Suddenly her fear vanished like dust in the wind.

And she caught herself making a step forward and her muzzle touching the still outstretched hand of the girl.

It was astonishing warm and dry and she smelled her excitement, but there was no danger at all. It felt _good,_ actually.

A shiver run through the human's body, but she stayed for one more moment, before she opened her eyes again and lowered her hand slowly.

They both took a deep breath, still shaken from their experience.

Then the human pulled herself together again and started to talk in that soft human voice to her, while her body said all the time _It's safe, I'm here to help, don't be afraid._

She made careful, slow steps forward, towards her blind side and she couldn't help but move and try to keep her in sight.

Although she had just found some sort of trust into her, she still tensed as the human started to get out of her immediate eye line and into her blind spot. It took all her willpower but she managed to stand still and not run away or pounce on the girl.

She _wanted_ her to help, she had to sternly remind herself.

Then there was the slightest touch to her shoulder and a subconscious shiver run through her whole body. But still, she didn't move. And then she felt how the bandages, that had kept her restrained, fell apart one by one. There was no pain at all, just the careful, light touch that removed the dirty cloths and freed her. As nothing happened after quite some time, she started to relax slightly. She was still far from being calm but at least she wasn't ready to attack any moment.

The human never stopped talking with her astonishingly calm, melodious voice.

Finally the last restrains dropped and she was ready to jump away and run, as the human stepped back into her field of sight.

_Stay,_ she told her. _It is not healed yet; I have to treat it further._

The human told the truth, she saw it and so she stayed rooted on the spot. She stayed as the girl smeared some strong smelling herbs on her wing, she stayed as she placed a straight branch on the bones and she didn't even move as she started to wrap it back in clean cloths. She didn't fully understand what she was doing, but she did understand that it was helping her. She didn't even protest, as the girl pressed her wing carefully back on her side and tied it there. After she was finished, she stepped back and looked her work over.

Not once had she tried to hurt her and she already felt better. The itchy feeling was gone.

"I am Cailin", the human suddenly said.

She didn't understand the human words, but she accompanied it with tell-telling gestures. So "Keilinn" was her name?

_What is your name?,_ the human then asked.

She just stared at her. She'd been ranking lowest, she didn't have a name. She had been just the wimp, the runt of the pack.

But she didn't have a pack anymore.

_I have no name_, she answered honestly.

_Would you mind if I would give you one_?, the human asked. _Everyone deserves a name._

She was so dumbfounded with that request, that she found herself nodding in that odd human fashion before she could think that through.

Cailin took that obviously as an affirmative and started to look her over thoughtfully.

For a moment she stood as still as a figure, then she said: "Bluestreak."

_It means with a blue stripe,_ she translated the human word afterwards.

She growled softly. That blue stripe had gotten her into trouble her whole life!

_It makes you special,_ Cailin added like in an afterthought.

And suddenly that idea sounded strangely appealing. All her life she had been the runt of the pack, the one that was outcast for what she was. But her old life had ended the moment her pack had left her to die. Now something entirely new had started and she found it strangely suiting to choose her name like that. What once had been her downfall might as well be her strength and pride, what set her apart, _now_.

_Accepted_, she said and nodded.

Cailin bared her teeth at her again and once again she felt that it was not meant as a thread, but as a way to show happiness. Humans apparently had very strange behaviours.

_There is some fish left for you,_ Cailin then offered and pointed to the spilled fish, which they had entirely forgotten during the recent events.

It finally registered to her how hungry she really was, she stepped forward (still unconsciously in a way, that would keep the human on her right side) and then started to devour the delicious fish.

.

.

As Cailin finally made her way back to the nursery she was almost floating with happiness and sure she was grinning like an idiot. The Night Fury had not only been still there, she had allowed her to touch her! She had allowed tending the injured wing that by the way looked very much better, she had not tried to eat or flame her. And she had even accepted a name from her!

She was unbelievable proud of herself. Perhaps she wasn't such a failure after all!

Now all she needed to do was made the injured wing heal completely and she would have saved another dragon from sure death. That is what a healer did, that was what made her happy.

.

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The next day Bluestreak already awaited her. The bandages were still intact and looked well, so Cailin didn't bothered to refresh them. Too much fiddling would just keep the bones from healing.

Instead she watched as the Night Fury ate her way through the fish she had brought. Compared to their last meeting, she took her time and carefully and slowly sorted through the fish, instead of gulping it down hastily. Although she still made sure, that she stayed on her right side, where she could watch her, she actually looked rather relaxed and not on the edge anymore.

Cailin couldn't help but admire her smooth movements and elegant build. With that wings Bluestreak would surely be a fast and agile flyer, once she was able to fly again. For a sad moment Cailin wondered how it would feel to fly on her back, but she dismissed that thought quickly. She was the girl not even a Terror trusted; surely the wild Night Fury, that was _leagues_ over any other dragon she knew, would never want to bond with her. She better forget that longing thoughts _immediately_.

But at least she could admire her beauty as long as she had the opportunity. It would be gone soon anyway.

.

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They quickly fell into some sort of habit. Cailin got the basket of fish and Bluestreak waited patiently for her. She even started to greet her the moment she came into sight.

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Some weeks later, as the girl was almost done tending the bandaged wing, which healed apparently faster every passing day, Cailin noticed some out of place scales on Blues back. Absent minded she started to scratch at them and almost jumped out of her skirt as Bluestreak leaned into her touch. Soon she started to purr; a deep, happy noise that reminded her of an overgrown cat.

Before it really registered to her what she was doing, she was scratching every part of Blues neck, shoulders and throat, she could reach. Despite Cailin standing on the dragons blind side, that normally made her edgy and jumpy, she was soon purring so hard it made her whole body shake. And then suddenly the Night Fury collapsed into a happy pile of dragon next to her feet as she unintentionally hit the certain point on Bluestreaks jaw. Every child in the village knew that this point made every dragon relax immediately. Obviously that was true for Night Furys, too.

With a wide grin she sat down on her knees and kept rubbing that point. She knew from experience, that dragons _loved_ that to bits and found it very pleasurable. It didn't took long and Bluestreak rolled on her back to give her better access, in her bliss obviously totally unaware that she was exposing her vulnerable throat and belly by doing so.

Well, Cailin did not intent to hurt her.


	5. Fighting

**Copyright:** How to train your dragon and Night Furys belongs to Dreamworks and Cressida Crowell. Characters and story belong to me.

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**A/N:** No Beta this time, I hope I didn't mess up too much!

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The dragons wing healed faster and faster and way too soon for her liking came the day that Cailin thought it safe to remove the bandage permanently.

_Okay Blue, today is the day you have waited for!,_ she announced as she stepped into the opening.

That expressive ear flaps perked up at her voice and the dragon shot her a curious look.

_What day?,_ she asked, as she rose to her feet from where she had been waiting for her and stepped over to give her a gentle welcoming nudge with her muzzle. A habit she lately established and that still made Cailin hold her breath with awe.

_Today the bandages can be removed for good,_ she explained and fought the urge to pat that black head affectionately. This was still a wild dragon, she reminded herself. Nowhere tame and just because she allowed her to tend her wing doesn't mean, she would allow touch somewhere else.

_I can fly again?_ The dragons head shot upwards and pure happiness radiated from her and made her good eye sparkle with joy.

Cailin nodded. _I hope so. But the wing has healed well and I think you can give it a try today._

That made the dragon jump around the opening, as if she couldn't contain her happiness anymore. But then she almost run her over and shoved her bandaged wing practically in her face.

_Do it!,_ she called impatiently, obviously eager to fly again.

_Have some fish while I work_, Cailin said with a smile and spilled the baskets contents in front of the dragon. Hopefully that would keep her from bouncing around with eagerness and made her stay in one spot.

Since Bluestreak couldn't see anyway what she was doing, she turned to the offered meal and started to gulp it down happily.

Soon the bandages were removed and Cailin checked again on the bones, but they seemed okay. She couldn't detect any weakness anymore and they had grown neatly together like they were supposed to do. The dragon wouldn't even keep a scar from the accident.

Almost the same moment she was done with her fiddling, Bluestreak had finished her fish and turned around to face her.

_Try if you can move it_, the human encouraged her.

Momentarily the dragon looked insecure, but then she started to very carefully stretch her left wing. It gave some small popping noises as long not used muscles were moved again, but she could spread the wing to its full impressive extend.

_Does it hurt?,_ asked Cailin anxiously.

_No, it is just weak,_ Bluestreak answered. She started to move the wing around, fold and stretch it again and again to get some feeling back into it and loosen the stiff that had built up over the weeks. And then, she suddenly spread her other wing too and started to beat them together powerfully.

She raised so much wind, leaves started to flew over the opening, a rush of air brushed into Cailin's face and she stepped back to not get blown away or hit unintentionally with a wingtip.

And then suddenly, Bluestreak turned around, made a huge jump into the air and with some powerful beats of her wings she was airborne and gone and out of sight.

Cailin sighted heavily.

This was the end.

Bluestreak could fly on her own again and didn't need her anymore. Her work was done. The Night Fury would resume her ways and she would certainly never see her again.

For one more moment she looked at the part of the sky that the dark dragon had disappeared into, then she picked the empty basket up and turned to heed home to her village. Better she kept this as short as possible; it would hurt less that way.

Still her heart ached as she jogged through the trees. The time she had spent with Bluestreak had been one of the best she could remember in her life. The dragon would leave an empty hole in her self that would be hard to cover.

Better she better stopped thinking about her _right now_.

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Then she reached the edge of the woods and walked back to her work in the nursery after she had put the basket back where it belonged.

She tried to keep any thought of the dark dragon, that had been on her mind for almost all the time lately, away and occupied herself with sorting through their herbal supply to find out if she would need to collect some more.

She concentrated that much, she almost jumped as someone cleared his throat.

"Teacher?", she asked and bowed her head respectfully at the old woman that had entered.

"I need to talk to you, Cailin", Maisie said and nodded to her to follow her.

Cailin did so, as a grave feeling turned her stomach to stone. Something in her teachers voice made her on edge, told her, that something was horrible _wrong_.

She didn't dare to say something; she just followed Maisie into the larger room where they tended their patients. It was empty today as they had no ill to care for momentarily.

"Please have a seat." Her teacher pointed to an old chair and took a seat herself. The all too serious expression on her face made Cailins mood drop any further. Did she do something wrong? Did someone find out, that she was stealing fish for months now? But it was the fish for the dragons anyway no one should have cared...

Her whirling thoughts were interrupted as her teacher cleared her throat und started: "The Chief paid me a visit this morning."

Cailin was short from blurting out that she didn't do something wrong, that she just wanted to help and make her job, but she couldn't bring her voice to cooperate. She seemed frozen in horror.

"First I want you to know, that I don't agree with what he said. I tried to change his mind, but to no avail. After all he can be very stubborn if he got an opinion." The old healer sighted heavily and looked down.

"He told me, that it is impossible for you to work farther in the nursery. Not without a dragon. He said, that you are not trustworthy, that the people don't dare to let their injuries tended because they think some part of your bad luck might transfer to them. He'd said that I must make you leave and pick another apprentice."

Most of what Maisie had said didn't even get through to Cailin. All that registered was, that she had to leave the nursery that she couldn't do what she could do best any more. That she had no job, that certainly no one _wanted_ her any more.

"But I am good at the work!", she protested weakly, her voice wavering heavily. "I never hurt someone!"

"I know that too, my dear." Maisie said, still looking rather sad. "But healing is not alone the profession of the healer; it also depends on the patient. The patient has to trust you and if there is no trust, there will be no healing. I think it is absolutely stupid too, there is nothing wrong with you, my dear. But as long as the people in this village think you have been cursed by some angry god or are just untrustworthy they won't come here to get some treatment. And that would be disastrous.

Look, can't you find some dragon, that want to stay with you? A Terrible Terror maybe? Nothing is wrong with a Terror and they are fairly easy to tame if you gave them some food. You just need _one_ dragon!"

Cailin looked down in defeat. "I already tried it. Not even they wanted to stay with me. Perhaps I'm really cursed and something is badly wrong with me. There must be a reason why no one wants me."

"Cailin... I surely want you around...You are the best apprentice I ever had..." Maisie said softly, sounding as heartbroken as Cailin felt.

"But you have to make your job and you can't disobey the Chief. It is better if I leave now.", Cailin ended her sentence for her, rose to her feet, her whole body and mind numb and heavy.

"Perhaps you should leave the island with the next ship. Somewhere else the people might not have that stupid obsession with the dragons and healers are always welcome", Maisie suggested. It was a good idea, the only thing that made sense to do right know.

"Here, take this!" Her teacher jumped to her feet with an agility that was unusual for a woman of her age and started to gather supplies from her surroundings. Soon she packed a rather large bag and threw it in her still shocked apprentices' arms.

"Thank you Maisie; that is very kind from you", Cailin whispered softly.

"I just wished there would be more, that I could do for you." Maisie looked down ashamed. "You have no idea how much that upsets me."

"But you don't have a choice, just like I do. Thank you again for all your help, for the time I was allowed to spend with you. Farewell, Maisie."

With that Cailin found herself turning and stumbling out of the door.

Her world has been frozen in horror and desperation. She had been kicked out of the village. Just because something was wrong with her, something she still had no idea what it was or what she did wrong to deserve such a fate. Perhaps Maisie was right and somewhere else she would get a new chance to start a life. Somewhere where the people wouldn't see her doomed just because of her strange shortcoming with dragons. But somewhere was not home and she loved her home, like everyone did. It hurt unbelievable to be thrown out.

At least she was not outcast, just not allowed to work here anymore, not wanted anymore. She could return someday. Maybe.

Traveling was dangerous, even if she weren't a lonely woman. Like every woman in the village she had been subjected to basic fight-training, but she was never really good at it. She lacked the strength to hurl heavy weapons and the will and determination to practice with more light weighted ones. She was rather good at using bow and arrow, but since she wanted to become a healer, she never trained for war. Against a man, who knew what he did (and practically every man would do that), she wouldn't stand a chance. It was well possible that she wouldn't even reach another island before something terrible happened to her.

Why hadn't she thought of that possibility before? That she someday might be in a situation where it would be essential to be able to defend herself?

Perhaps, she never thought that she really might be forced to leave her home. Just because of that dragon-problem of hers. She was a member of the Tribe of Eilean, for Odins sake! How could they simply throw her out, just because she didn't have a dragon? She was not ill or did something horrible!

Now her love for herbs and medicine and her dislike for weapon- and fighting-training might get her killed very fast. Or worse.

Her mind was still numb, everything within her hurt so badly, she could hardly muster any intelligent thought. Perhaps she should wait until the first horror had worn off and she could think straight again. One day still left here...

Suddenly she was jerked out of her dark thoughts, as someone grabbed her roughly by her arm. She yelped with pain and surprise and was dragged away with such force that she almost fell over her feet.

"What-?!", she cried out, but immediately there was a dirty hand planted over her mouth, effectively muffling her voice.

Then she was shoved with the back into a wall and was finally able to see who had so roughly grabbed her.

It was not a sight she would have appreciated.

Seumas Moray was one of the healthier people of Eilean, due to his family owning large amounts of sheep and cows. He rode a Monstrous Nightmare that further cemented his status and he was considered a "good marriage". Unfortunately he was also big, ugly and very, very unpleasant to be around. He was disrespectful, violent and a brute, that thought he owned the world. There had been more than one woman that accused him of behaving inappropriate to say the least. The matter had always been settled with some cows or sheep changing ownership and he wasn't punished for what he did.

Cailin hated him and tried to stay away from him as much as possible.

Unfortunately that proved rather difficult when the guy pinned her down on a wall and blocked every exit. He was much stronger than her, she had no chance of throwing him off, no matter which trick she tried and she couldn't even scream for help, because he still muffled her voice with that stinking hand over her mouth. She would like to bite into it, but couldn't reach anything.

It seemed like her failure at fighting-training would pay off very much sooner than she hoped.

"So, the Unlucky had finally met her fate", Seumas started with a wide smile, that made Cailin want to beat it right out of his face.

She couldn't say anything so she just continued her struggle and glared at him as hard as she could.

"Well, no one can say it would be a shame", said the brute, still with that nasty smile all plastered over his face. "Although I think, you are too pretty to be that easily wasted. I think, I'll have some fun. Should be pretty riskless, since you have to leave anyway, shouldn't it?"

Suddenly she became acutely aware what he meant and dread and horror filled her. He couldn't _mean_ that! It was a crime!

And she was practically outcast and not expected to return to that island anymore. She was "the Unlucky", the girl that could not be trusted. No one would believe her. No one would listen to her.

That ugly brute was right: it should be pretty riskless. He didn't even have to fear punishment!

She was frozen with horror about her thoughts, but as Seumas roughly grabbed at her breasts, she started to struggle desperately. No one might listen to her, but she was also not going to let that happen without a fight!

He promptly hit her over the face, so strong, it made her head spin around and hit the wall he had pushed her into. She wanted to scream, but he still muffled her voice, so she started to trash and kick at him, but all it got her, was another blow to the face. It hurt so much, she blacked out for a moment.

As she came back to her senses, his hand was under her skirt and she cried out in humiliation and terror. Tears run over her face, she didn't want that!

Didn't someone hear them? Someone who would come to her rescue?

But no one came.

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She tried again to kick him and again the only effect was a hard blow across her face. Something warm and thick started to tickle over it. She must be bleeding.

But not even that was enough to keep her from feeling the disgusting, sickening _touch_. She wanted to vanish into the earth, die right now, she didn't want to feel _that_! But there was no way of escape, she was too weak, she couldn't escape. She had no choice.

She closed her eyes and hoped she would black out again, but then she was suddenly startled back into attention.

There was a strange, ballistic and very creepy sound she had never heard before and it was coming closer incredibly fast. Seumas must have heard it too, but he paid no attention, he fumbled with opening his belt, that nasty, _pleased_ smile still plastered all over his face.

And then there was suddenly a black blur and something big and heavy slammed with so much force into the brute, that it easily knocked him some feet away.

As the hand was removed from her face, Cailin immediately took the chance and screamed as loud as she could.

"Help! Fire! HELP ME!" She knew that that would get her some attention as a fire could easily destroy the whole village. It was everyones business.

She should run, get away from the guy, but she couldn't get her legs to cooperate and start moving. She was fixed to the spot, still pressed against the wall. Instinctively she stared at what had knocked Seumas away from her. Her breath seemed to stop again, as she finally recognised the dark shape that was now baring its teeth at the goon, hissing threateningly and sounding thoroughly _pissed_.

It was a Night Fury.

Bluestreak?

What did she do here? She thought she had left?!


	6. Bonding

**Copyright:** How to train your dragon and Night Furys belongs to Dreamworks and Cressida Crowell. Characters and story belong to me.

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It felt so _good_ to be back in the air, in the sky, that was her home! Bluestreak screamed with happiness and pleasure. She was back!

Back where she belonged, back into _life_!

For what seemed like eternity she was just enjoying the thrill of speed, of air, wind and _freedom_ all around her.

Unfortunately she was soon reminded that the muscles in her left wing had weakened while the bone had healed. She was exhausted and had to land if she wanted to avoid another crash. So she flew one last circle and landed in what must be her worst landing since her early childhood, not counting the crash.

She shook herself free of the leaves and then turned back and spread the hurting wing to lick it. The pain and cramp lessened, but only slightly, it was still strained from the tension she had put it through. But perhaps Cailin could make it hurt less? The humans small hands were impossible good at massaging tense muscles.

Speaking of which... where was the girl?

Bluestreak perked her ear flaps up and looked around but the human was nowhere to be seen. Was she gone? So soon? She had thought she would wait for her to return from her flight...

But Cailin was nowhere to be found and even her familiar scent had worn off. So she was gone for some time, probably since she left her for the air.

But Bluestreaks wing and shoulder muscles still hurt and she soon found herself walking through the forest, following the faint trace of scent that the human had left. Fast she reached the limits of the forest, but still couldn't see Cailin. Instead she took a look at the village where the humans lived. It was crowded with humans and dragons of all species, many of them wearing things on their backs. As some humans were riding on top of them, they are obviously for the humans to have an easier seat.

There were lots of people around, but none of them was _her_ human.

She sniffed the air to see if she could find a trace that would lead her to Cailin, but anything she found was old.

With an unhappy growl she crouched deeper in the underwood and watched the village. Cailin had to reappear eventually.

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While she laid there motionlessly and waited her thoughts wandered.

Why was she feeling so happy, whenever the girl came to visit her? It couldn't be for the fish, as delicious as it was, otherwise she wouldn't lay here in the bushes and stalk her. She couldn't close her eyes on the realisation that she _liked_ her. Not the fish, she brought, not the care of her wing, but the human _herself_.

It was nice having her around, it kept the loneliness away. She felt safe around her, safer as she had ever felt with her pack. Cailin wouldn't attack her, she wouldn't bite her to fortify some rank. She actually _respected_ her and that was more than could be said about her former pack. She was the first being that did that since her mother had died, the first being that _cared_ for how she felt.

Bluestreak hummed softly, thoughtfully. The human acted like a proper pack should have. And since her old pack had abandoned her, the dragon realised that Cailin was now what came closest to a new pack, as she could get. She was more than just an ally; she was a friend.

Sure, she was _human_ but suddenly that little fact didn't bother Bluestreak anymore. It just meant she could do things with her skilful little fingers that no dragon could do, like scratch the parts on her back she couldn't reach herself or care for a broken wing. It was not the outside that mattered; she knew that all too well. The best looking, strongest dragons in her pack had also been the most brutal around her. It was the inside that really was important and Cailin was the person that made her most relaxed and happy in a very long time. It was nice having her around, it made her content, it made her feel safe and _belonging_.

And in Bluestreaks opinion that was a very good reason to stay close to her side. She had nowhere to go anyway.

.

But where _was_ Cailin?

She still hadn't picked up a trace of her! With an unpleased growl Bluestreak rose carefully to her feet again and took another look around. As she still couldn't see anything, she crept silently around the nearest of the strange structures, that the humans obviously lived in. Perhaps her human had visited somewhere else? She didn't even know where she stayed when she wasn't with her!

Just as she rounded the next house, she froze in alarm. It took one moment to register; then she knew what had set her alerted. There was a fresh trace of Cailins scent in the air and it was mixed with the stench of fear and horror. Her human was in danger!

Without even realizing what she was about to do, she shot forward, towards the source of the smell. It just took her a few big leaps and she could see what happened.

Cailin had been shoved against a wall by some strong looking male and she was _terrified_, she could have seen that even without her scent being that overwhelming. She could also sense the males smell and apart from a _disgusting_ and _gross_ stench of dirt and grease and sweat she also noticed something that strangely resembles the smell of someone ready to mate.

Bluestreak bared her teeth. A forced mating was something horrible, _unthinkable_, something even the highest ranking of a pack would never try, no matter how desperate they were. That human was not just ill, it was _insane_!

Bluestreak didn't think any further, she reacted instinctively and in an instant. For the first time ever she screamed out her rage and anger in the distinct attack scream of her kind to make herself known, while leaping at highest speed towards the ill male. She didn't dare to use her fire as she could easily hit Cailin as well, but sheer body mass should be enough. She slammed with force into the male, knocking him easily off her shivering human. She had so much velocity, they rolled some distance away and tumbled over each other, but Bluestreak didn't care. The main goal was to get the sick individual away from her human and she had accomplished that right now. The moment she was back on her feet, she snapped her teeth at the human, but before she could impale the sick individual for what he just tried, a heavy force slammed into her left side, throwing her away from the male. With an angry scream she bit blindly to her left and hit scales. Another hit slammed her away and she jumped back at her feet in an instant, finally able to see what had attacked her. It was a young, male Monstrous Nightmare, whose scent told her, he was worried. Worried about the _human male_?

The Nightmare snarled at her and bared his teeth threateningly.

_Get away from him!,_ he hissed.

Normally she would have immediately cowered, submitted and did what he just told her. Normally she would never have gotten into a fight, let alone one with a much bigger Monstrous Nightmare, a stronger male.

But now was no normal situation. Right now she was not only angry, she was _pissed_ like never before. Adrenaline rushed through her, anger and rage and a very strong protective instinct ravaged in her mind and body. They had dared to attack a member of her pack, a weaker member who could not defend itself, someone who cared about her! And she was not going to do the same as her old pack had done. She would defend Cailin and if it meant getting into a fight, so it would be. She didn't care anymore if she would get hurt. She would not step aside, she would not submit, she had done that all her life. Time to change it!

Today she would _fight_ to keep the only person that had ever cared about her safe.

Instead of surrendering she snarled right back.

_He attacked _my _human!,_ she screamed. _He tried to force a mating on her! He is _SICK_!_

She pounced forward, totally ignoring the Nightmares thread and tried to kill the insane human again for what it had almost done to her human.

The Nightmare jumped at the same time and they met in mid-air. The Nightmares greater weight slammed into her and knocked them to the side, where they landed hard in the dirt, with her on her back. A part of her sane mind knew she was in a very weak position right now with her vulnerable belly exposed for the enemy. She should surrender _now_.

The rest of her completely ignored the danger she was in. She saw red; she didn't care about her own health any more. With a rage fuelled fury she never experienced before, she clawed and bit at every part of the Nightmare, she could reach. With a strong kick of her hindlegs she got the other dragon away from her, what gave her enough time to get back on her feet.

With an angry scream she wanted to leap at her opponent again. She wanted to _hurt_ someone, preferable the sick human but if he was not available the insane dragon that defended it, would do as well.

But in the moment she pounced, something slammed into her, throwing her leap off. With a furious scream she bit at what hold her on the ground, but the weight doubled and then tripled and soon she was unable to even _bite_. Finally she registered that two Gronckles and a Snafflefang had positioned themselves on top of her, effectively preventing her from getting up or even move.

_Get off me!,_ she snarled at them, but they didn't budge.

_Calm down,_ one of the Grockles mumbled soothingly.

She didn't care and just continued her struggle.

_Calm down!_, now the Snafflefang snapped with as much authority as the highest ranking of her former pack.

Bluestreak just growled back.

_You have no authority over me!,_ she hissed and bared her teeth, although she was aware she couldn't reach the other dragon to bite.

_Right now I have the authority to keep you down_, the Snafflefang retorted. _So CALM DOWN!_

Bluestreak was still furious but she could no longer ignore the position she was in. She couldn't move, she couldn't attack, she was at the other dragons mercy.

Strangely she didn't care as much as she probably should.

She growled under her breath.

_Let me get up so I can beat the life out of that sick individual!,_ she demanded.

_No_, the Snafflefang answered. _You won't kill anyone! Not in this village!_

Suddenly there was a shift of weight, as one of the Gronckles relocated his weight. She was almost sure, that the dragon itself wasn't aware of it, but she, who was used to use feeling, scent and hearing as much as sight noticed immediately. For one moment his position was weakened and Bluestreak took the opportunity. She threw herself with all her strength to the side and managed to throw the other dragons stance off as well. With another kick of her suddenly free legs, she thrust the three dragons away from her and jumped to her feet immediately, ready to defend herself.

She spread her wings slightly to make her look bigger, pressed her ear flaps tightly against her head, swished her tail aggressively from side to side and bared all of her teeth snarling and hissing threateningly.

With a quick glance she took in her surroundings.

Humans and dragons had gathered and formed a wide circle around her, although they didn't come closer and didn't attack right now. The Gronckles and the Snafflefang had gotten to their feet, but stayed on their spot as well. She tried to find the insane Monstrous Nightmare and finally spotted him hold down by some other Nightmares and a Hideous Zippleback. Unlike her he had given up the fight and laid motionless. She spotted the sick human he had protected near him and growled.

But there was a wall of dragons between her and them and Bluestreak knew she wouldn't get a chance of defeating them all. She couldn't reach him for now and she came to the conclusion, that Cailin was more important. She turned her head slightly until she was able to look behind her at her human and check on her. She was still shaking badly and her eyes were wide, but into the scent of horror something else had mixed. Utter surprise and astonishment?

But before she could make any sense out of that a male humans voice boomed over the snarling of the dragons that told her to stay at bay.

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Cailin was so surprised she first thought she was hallucinating. Surely that was not Bluestreak who had just attacked Seumas and threw him away from her. But she knew no other dragon with such dark scales, with that distinct build and with only one eye. Frozen to the spot she watched as Bluestreak snapped her teeth at Seumas, ready to impale him, as Firetail, Seumas' Monstrous Nightmare rushed to the rescue of his partner. The two dragons engaged in a vicious, furious and brutal fight that made it difficult to see more than snapping jaws and scraping claws in the raised dust.

Cailin was still fixed to her spot in shock and noticed how Seumas got shakenly back on his feet but the fighting dragons were between them, making it impossible for him to reach her.

Suddenly Bluestreak managed to get Firetail away from her and she leaped to her feet, ready to pounce again, as another dragon slammed into her.

Suddenly it registered to Cailin, that the noise that the fighting dragons had made, couldn't have stayed unnoticed. The screams and growls had been loud enough to alert the entire village and a quick look around told her that most people and dragons had arrived on the scene.

A dragon fight could deal great damage to the buildings and therefore everyone reacted fast to break it up before real harm could be dealt. Dragons separated the fighting pair, so that tempers could cool down and a solution that didn't involve bodily harm could be found.

Firetail, recognising what the other dragons were doing, calmed down and gave up any resistance.

But not Bluestreak.

The Night Fury was burning with anger and rage and still struggled heavily against the three dragons that hold her down. And while Cailin stared, she managed to get them _off_ her. She had no idea where the small, light weighted dragon got the strength from, but she threw the two Gronckles and the Snafflefang to the side and leaped back to her feet again.

She snarled dangerously, but she could reach neither Firetail nor Seumas and apparently that registered to her too, because she didn't attacked any further. Instead she placed herself menacingly between Cailin and everyone else. She spread her wings, bared her teeth and together with the agitated swishing tail and the threatening growl, she was the picture of imminent death for anyone who dared to come too close.

And then she shot a short worried glance back and Cailin finally realised that Bluestreak, the _wild_ Night Fury was truly protecting _her_.

Her mind was a raging mess right now. Seumas' attack had thrown her into deepest fear and horror and she wasn't entirely sure if she was not seeing things. Perhaps she just imagined Bluestreak standing in front of her, snarling at everyone and protecting her, because she wished so _desperately_ that someone would safe her.

Then the deep voice of the Chief boomed through the chaos and jolted her out of her whirling, incoherent thoughts.

"What happened here!?"

He was greeted with silence. Then he managed to push himself to the front of the staring crowed and finally got a good look.

He was surprised, but he was also the Chief and he got his bearings back quite quickly.

"What happened here?", he asked again and as no one answered, he set his gaze on Cailin and took a step forward.

Immediately Bluestreak hissed at him, her wings flaring out further and she crouched slightly, making all too clear that she wouldn't tolerate any further step.

The Chief stopped and hold up his empty hands to calm the agitated and obviously very pissed dragon, but he still looked at Cailin.

"Cailin?", he finally asked.

She tried to clear her dry throat and choked out: "Seumas... he... he attacked me."

Immediately the accused called out from somewhere where she couldn't see him: "That is a lie! I just wanted to talk with her!"

Before Cailin could say one more word Bluestreak reared back with a powerful beat of her wings and let loose such a terrifying roar that the buildings trembled. That stunned Seumas into silence and made anyone stumble back in terror.

Chief Craig had also backed quickly away at the sight of the angry dragon and Cailin couldn't blame him for that. Bluestreak might be not the biggest dragon around, but with outstretched wings, all teeth bared, screeching like a demon and reared back like darkness itself, she surely looked like the offspring of lightning and death itself as the Book had described her kind.

Still the Night Fury didn't dare do move far away from her and stood guard in front of her.

As she didn't followed or attacked him, the Chief risked turning his gaze away from her for the short moment it took to bark behind him: "Get Seumas and his dragon into the Meeting Hall _right now_. I'll deal with them later!"

Then he turned back to the problem at hand.

"Cailin, do you know that dragon?", he asked as calmly and harmlessly as possible to not agitate the dragon any further.

"Yes, Sir", she whispered. "I found her some weeks ago in the woods with a broken wing and treated her."

"Can you get near without her attacking?" Chief Craig asked further.

Cailin took a deep breath to keep her legs from shaking and nodded slowly.

"I can try."

"Please do it, but be very careful!"

She nodded and took one shaking step forward. She was still not sure if she was not just dreaming. But if she would dream, then she would probably not feel like her bones would pour into her shoes at any moment.

"Bluestreak!", she called softly and immediately the Night Furys ear flaps perked up. For a moment the dragon stood perfectly still as she tried to see if there was any immediate danger, but as no one else moved, she turned her head to shot her a glance with her good eye.

"Bluestreak...", Cailin repeated, carefully stepping closer to her.

And faster as she could react, the dragon suddenly whirled around, was with one quick leap at her side and sniffed her over. Cailin was too stunned to do more than just stare at her.

She didn't even realize that Blue had asked her something until a large, black head nudged her carefully in the belly and the dragon repeated her question: _Are you hurt?_

_No_, Cailin breathed and suddenly she found herself petting the dragons head with shaking fingers like she was an overgrown dog. Blue didn't flinch away or growled at her for the unasked touch; instead she curled her body around her, until she was almost _buried_ in dark scales and living, breathing dragon.

Cailin suddenly realized that Blue had not only established whole body contact, but also turned her blind side on her. Normally she allowed her only to step on that side, when she had to tend her wing and never without some signs of jumpiness. Now she trusted her with her vulnerable side and didn't even seem to be edgy about it.

Cailin was too stunned to make any sense out of the dragons odd behaviour. After all that had happened to her that day she just couldn't think straight any more.

_That males luck!,_ Blue growled under her breath and then she suddenly turned and gave her an affectionate lick straight across her face.

With a startled yelp Cailin stumbled back just to bump into the dragons side and almost fall over.

It turned out it was hard to fall, when she was wrapped into a dragons embrace.

Without thinking she reached out and touched the black scales on Bluestreaks head. They were so smooth and warm and strangely _calming_ under her touch. And they felt achingly familiar.

_Why did you do that?,_ she finally got herself to ask what made her wondering since the whole mess started. She just didn't understand.

Blue turned her head and obviously tried to look at her, although she couldn't twist enough to get her into her sight. Cailin tried to make a step forward to make it easier for her, but she couldn't. She was still tightly wrapped in a dark tail and a wing that kept her effectively from moving any further. But apparently Blue gave up her futile attempt anyway and just answered: _You belong to me now._

"What?", Cailin blurted out. She must have gotten that wrong somehow.

Blue didn't understand her words, but she surely understood their meaning and added: _You are like a member of my pack now, and you had to be protected._

That stunned Cailin into a shocked silence. That just _had_ to be wrong!

Then she jerked back to attention as the Chiefs voice broke into her utter confusion.

"Well it seems, that the pot finally _did_ found a cover", he boomed. "And you surely got yourself a fine dragon there!"

"What?", she asked again, unable to make sense out of anything he just said.

The Chief smiled widely at her. "Don't you realize? You just bonded with a dragon!"

She stared dumbfounded. That _couldn't_ be. No dragon ever, not even the most easy going Terror, wanted to trust her, stay with her and now the most rouge dragon she _ever_ encountered should have bonded with her? It was impossible!

"That must be a mistake", she heard herself say. It _had_ to be one!

Craig just grinned. "Cailin, no wild dragon would go to such lengths to protect a human. Believe me, that dark beast there just decided it wanted to stay with _you_. And if you don't believe me, ask _her_. You are good at Dragonese, right?"

Cailin stared for some more blinks at her Chief and then back at the dragon, that had still curled herself around her.

She needed to clear her throat several times to be able to get out a decent sound.

"Bluestreak?" _Do you want to stay with me_? Her voice was trembling so hard she wasn't even sure if the dragon did understand what she just asked her.

And she knew what answer would come. The straight out flat 'no' she always got. Perhaps the confused question how she could come up with such a stupid idea. The explanation that the _connection_ was missing, that they didn't belong together.

She _didn't_ expect the firm nod and the calm _Yes_, she received.

She froze again. She must be hearing things.

_What?,_ she asked, shaking so badly, she could hardly stand any more. Right now she felt like she had said that world already a dozen times this day.

_Yes, I want to stay with you,_ Bluestreak repeated quite clearly. _You are my pack now, we belong together._

That was the last straw. Cailin couldn't stand all the confusion that had been bearing down on her any more. Her legs finally gave in and she collapsed in a heap against Blues side. Immediately the dragon shifted to make her comfortable, curled even more around her and wrapped her completely in dark wings.

Cailin started to sob against the dragons shoulder and soon tears were running freely over the dark hide and she was shaking so badly she wouldn't have been able to stand even if she would have tried.

A warm muzzle nudged against her side and a low comforting hum made her body vibrate. And suddenly there was the wet tongue again as Blue started to lick her neck like she would probably a distressed hatchling, still purring comfortingly at her.

From time to time Blue looked up to scan the surroundings but obviously there was no danger anymore and she always stuck her head back under her wing to calm her.


	7. First Flight

**Copyright:** How to train your dragon and Night Furys belongs to Dreamworks and Cressida Crowell. Characters and story belong to me.

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Cailin didn't know how much time had passed as she finally had calmed enough to be able to react to the real world again. Eventually the tears had ceased to flow and the sobs had ended.

She was still confused – really to be able to take _that_ in, she would need more than just some hours – but she had the strength to talk to the rest of the world again.

Blue had remained curled around her, but she moved as she gave her a slight nudge and let her stand on her own legs again.

They were almost alone; the people that had been stirred by the fight had long left. The only person still there was Maisie who looked at her with the broadest grin she ever saw.

"Are you feeling better, dear?", she asked.

Cailin nodded slightly. "Yes. Confused, but better", she answered honestly.

"That goon didn't hurt you, did he?" Suddenly there was a frown back on Maisies face.

This time Cailin shook her head. "Blue intercepted him before he could..." She didn't finish the sentence.

"The Chief waits to hear your opinion on what happened. Don't worry; that sorry excuse of a man is under custody right now. He won't try something again, and surely not with that dragon watching over you. Although I really hope he would, because then, that beast of yours could tear him apart!" Maisie looked for one moment downright bloodthirsty, an expression that looked very odd on her normally kind features.

She took one deep breath and calmed enough to add: "I can accompany you, if your dragon will allow that. I think I also have a word or two to say about that goon."

Cailin just nodded slowly. It was strange to no end to hear someone referring to "her dragon", but Blue was doubtlessly still standing next to her, so close she felt the heat the big body radiated. And as she started to walk towards the Meeting Hall, the dragon immediately fell into pace and followed.

Cailin couldn't help but reach for the dark shoulder and a soft rumble answered her touch.

_I am still here and I intend to stay. Don't worry._

She also noted that she was walking on Blues left side again, but the dragon didn't seem to mind. Actually the contrary was the case as she tried to duck under her head and switch to the other side.

A low, soft growl told her: _Stay there._

_But, it's you blind side!,_ she protested.

_Therefore stay there,_ the dragon answered and Cailin felt her heart pick up speed once again. She trusted her to watch her blind side!

As if she had read her mind Blue added: _You are a member of the pack. A _trusted _member._

The way she stressed that last point made Cailin look sharply at her, although she was aware, that Blue wouldn't see it.

_You sound like there were not much trusted members in your old pack._

_There were_ none, the dragon growled. _They abandoned my, they left me to die; they didn't deserve to call themselves a _pack_!_

Cailin shivered softly. Apparently she wasn't the only one who had had some nasty experiences in the past. And she suddenly understood so much better, why the dragon was willing to share her life with her.

She had no other life left.

She should feel upset about that, of being a replacement, but she wasn't. She was absolutely certain that she was no substitute; that Blue had thought very well about that decision and she actually felt honoured that the dragon trusted her to be a better pack than the _real_ dragons had been.

And then she saw herself reaching out and patting the smooth shoulder next to her reassuringly.

_Don't worry, I will never abandon you!,_ she said with all the determination she had. She could as well chop off her right hand.

Blue turned slightly into her direction and breathed some warm air into her face.

_Thank you._

_I have to thank _you_. You saved me; I can't even tell you how grateful I am!_

_Then don't try!_ She was almost sure the dragon smiled.

.

They reached the Meeting Hall soon after and stepped into. Cailin almost expected Blue to stay outside, but the dragon followed her without hesitation, although she stayed close to her side.

The Chief rose to his feet the moment he saw them entering and nodded a greeting to the old healer.

"Please have a seat", he offered them some chairs.

Cailin and Maisie took them, while Bluestreak sat herself down behind Cailin and curled her tail possessively around her.

"Tell me what happened", Chief Craig ordered calmly.

Cailin took a deep breath and started. The story wasn't long and she didn't go into details what Seumas had done to her. That and the warm black tail placed over her lap kept her calm enough to not lose it again.

The Chief listened attentive and frowned once she was done.

"First: you are of course allowed to continue your work in the nursery. There is certainly no valid reason left to not trust you and I apologize that I made you feel such distress. I had to consider the opinion of the people over my own opinion and there was only one decision valuable."

Cailin nodded calmly. "I understand your decision, Chief", she said politely.

"Thank you. And second: what Seumas tried to do to you is a crime. Do you want it to be punished?"

Cailins features hardened and she nodded.

"Yes, Chief", she answered determined. "He needs punishment otherwise he will try this again and the next victim might not be that lucky as I was today."

"I think the same. His case will be decided at the next Great Meeting.

The next question is just pure curiosity. Do you have any idea what species of dragon she is?" He nodded at the dragon that sat fixed like some strange shadow behind her.

"According to the Book of Dragons she seems to be a Night Fury", Cailin explained. "Apparently they are nomads and a rare breed so not many have ever been spotted. They are said to be fast and agile flyers. I have to try that out someday."

"I think that day will come soon. And the last question: Do you already know where she will stay?"

"Not really, although I think I will find a place for her to stay." Cailin really hadn't thought about such questions for now. There had been more pressing matters to handle.

"Excuse me, Chief, for interrupting", Maisie jumped into the conversation. As Chief Craig nodded, she continued: "I am growing old and will soon not be able to take up the full work in the nursery. It is time that Cailin takes over the work and graduates from apprentice to full healer."

Cailins head spun around to stare at her. Was she just advancing her?

Maisie proceeded as if she didn't notice her apprentices bewildered look. "As a full healer she has the right of her own residence and I will soon arrange that. There will be plenty room for the dragon if it chooses to stay with her all the time."

Craig nodded as if he wouldn't be the least bit surprised. "Great. I think this should settle every open question. You can leave now."

The two women bowed in respect before him and left, Blue trailing behind.

"Really?", Cailin blurted out the moment they were clear of the Hall. "You're really going to make me a full healer?"

Maisie smiled widely at her. "I would have done that some time ago if there hadn't been that stupid dragon-problem. But now no one can object to my choice and believe me; I couldn't get a better successor. You are the most talented healer I know, you will do great."

"Thank you very much, Maisie!" Cailin threw herself at the surprised woman and hugged her.

She had no idea how the day had gone from such an awful start to this wonderful ending. Some hours ago she thought she would have to leave the island, never see Bluestreak again and was on top of that almost raped. And now... she was not only safe, but she had the Night Fury protecting her, staying with her and she would soon be a fully graduated healer! It was too much for her and she started to cry again.

Immediately there was a concerned croon from behind and she reached out to pet Blue and calm her.

_I am okay, just utterly confused with the whole change in situation,_ she explained to her. _I think I need a break. _

_It is late already. I think you are right and should get some rest_, the dragon suggested.

Cailin smiled at her.

_Yes, I should really do._

.

They finally made it to the healers house and Cailin headed for her small chamber. She wasn't even surprised as Bluestreak tried to follow her. Unfortunately the dragon was way to big for the door, let alone the small chamber behind.

_Do you really want to come in here?,_ Cailin asked.

_I won't risk someone attacking you again,_ the dragon growled softly.

The healer thought for a moment. The dragon would never fit into her chamber, but if she was adamant on staying with her, there was only one way to make that happen.

_Okay, just wait here, please? I get my stuff and then we can sleep here. Here should be enough room for us both,_ she suggested while pointing at the floor of the main room and Blue nodded.

_Sounds nice enough._

Cailin hurried to make herself ready for the bed and soon returned to the bigger room. For a moment she couldn't see the Night Fury, until a short snort gave her position away. She might not be pure black, but her scales were dark enough to make her difficult to spot in the dim room. Cailin grabbed some bread as a breakfast and shot a questioning look at Blue, but she shook her head.

_I'm still well-set, thank you._

_Do you mind, if I eat something?_

_Not the least bit._

Cailin was still not sure if she was doing the right thing, but Blue didn't protest as she sat down at her side. She actually lifted a wing for her to make herself more comfortable and the girl found herself leaning against the dark shoulder and relaxing.

_Thank you_, she whispered.

_For what?_

_For everything. For saving me, for being here, for deciding to stay with me. I never expected this, are you're really sure you want to do this?_ Caitlin could still not really believe that this was true and really happening. She still feared she might wake up any moment and found herself abused and outcast somewhere alone in the dark.

Something like a low chuckle ran through the dragon.

_Yes, I'm quite sure I want this. _Bluestreak laid her head down on her paws, closed her eyes and relaxed. _And don't think you are the only one who benefits from this,_ she murmured.

_What can someone like me give to someone like you?, _Cailin asked thoughtfully. Surely the powerful dragon could care for herself and now being able to fly again, she wouldn't be dependent on her for feeding.

_Company, trust, safety, belonging,_ Bluestreak answered, already sounding drowsy. _The pack I never really had._

Cailin glanced back at her and reached out to slowly trace some of the softly gleaming scales.

_I will be here for you, always_, she whispered. _I promise._

Her only answer was a soft hum. Perhaps Blue was already asleep and didn't even hear her. Well, it didn't really matter. She would prove herself worthy of the dragons choice through acts more than through words anyway.

With a happy smile she leaned back against the warm dragon.

She was done eating and her body finally demanded the rest it needed so badly after all the fear and stress of the day. Soon she found herself slip to the side until she rested against the dragons forelegs and could feel the slow, powerful beat of Bluestreaks heart against her back. The dragon shifted slightly and covered her with a wing that wrapped her in warm darkness. Soon Cailin was deep asleep.

.

.

As she woke up the next morning, she was for one moment totally confused.

That was not her sleeping place under the rock, where was she?! But the moment she opened her eyes, she realized that she was at the healers place and calmed down again. She was safe, no one would try to harm her here.

And she was not alone. With a soft happy hum she turned to look at the human girl snuggled against her chest. Last evening she had laid herself down in such a way, that her good eye faced the room while the blind one was on the wall in her back. It provided safety for her and it also allowed her now to look at the sleeping human.

Yesterday she would not have imagined the day to end with her accepting the human completely as a part of her pack. She didn't have imagined sleeping in a humans house with the girl cuddled at her side, it would have sounded very strange, actually.

But here she laid and did exactly what would had gotten a good laugh from her yesterday.

And she felt as content and happy as rarely before while doing so. She finally felt like she did belong here, that she was accepted after all for what she was and that she had found her place in the world.

Strange, what fate did sometimes...

She raised her head and took another close look to the room, but there was still nothing remotely dangerous. Herbs and strange things on wooden shelves on the walls, but no danger.

With a soft hum she turned again to look at Cailin. The girl was still deep asleep, snuggled against her chest and half buried under her wing. She seemed at peace and happy too, and Bluestreak decided to let her sleep yet. So she laid her muzzle back on her paws and dozed off again.

.

As a healers apprentice Cailin was used to waking up early, there was lot of work to do after all. But as she came to her senses this morning something was different than usual. She wasn't in her haybed and she was not alone. There was a calm, strong breath and a powerful hearts beat thrumming through her back and there was that warmth that could only come from another body close to hers. Who was with her?!

For a moment utterly confused and still half asleep she thought at which point did she get married and to whom? She couldn't remember any celebration. Or did she miss the marriage and went straight for someone? But that would be...

She jerked up and almost hit her head on something leathery that had covered her body and kept her warm. Immediately behind her something moved and a soft hum reached her ears.

Cailin twisted her head around to see who laid behind her and couldn't supress a smile. It wasn't a human. It was a dragon, whose dark scales almost made him invisible in the scarcely lit room.

She was such an idiot! How could she have forgotten what happened yesterday, the day that started as the worst and ended as the best in her life? How could she forget the one dragon, which finally wanted to be with her?

"Bluestreak!", she said still sounding surprised.

The Night Fury stretched her muzzle and nuzzled her affectionately.

_Good Morning. Do we want to get up and in the air?_

_Flying? What? Right now?_ She wasn't even fully awake!

_Of course! _Obviously Blue _was_ awake and ready for action.

Cailin shot her a look and the way the big yellow-green eye looked expectantly at her and the whole dragon was humming with excitement told her, she better got up _now_. Plus she had only ridden Maisies Snafflefang Greenlegs so far and Blue looked like she could go _very much faster_ than the old Lady. It would be a very interesting flight to say the least.

Besides she was wide awake right now and wouldn't be able to sleep anyway. She might as well go up and for a ride, if it was already offered to her.

So she uncurled herself from Bluestreaks wing and legs and got up to get her clothes and a quick cleaning.

As she returned from her chamber, the dragon was already waiting for her, eager to go. As Cailin followed her outside, she couldn't help but admire the Night Furys beauty and elegant movements. She still couldn't quite believe that this dragon had decided to stay with her, had chosen her as a partner. She must really be the luckiest person on earth!

Well, she had paid dearly with years of humiliation while she waited for her to appear.

After Bluestreak had stepped completely outside, she crouched slightly to allow Cailin to get on her back. She finally managed to climb up and took a seat directly at the dragons neck, right in front of the huge wings.

Unfortunately there was not much for her to hold on, before her were just Bluestreaks earflaps and she knew from her petting sessions that they were pretty sensitive. Definitively nothing she would like to hold on to.

She had no chance of trying to find something better to grasp, as the dragon crouched slightly and then made one powerful jump straight into the air. Blue beat her wings with so much strength, they shot literally straight up and they went instantly with a speed that would leave every Nadder behind _very_ fast.

Cailin was immediately screaming her lungs out, as she had nothing to hold on and already felt that she was slipping the dragons back down. Instinctively she did the only thing that came to her mind: she threw the arms around the Night Furys neck and curled her legs around her shoulders and hold on with every bit of strength she had. She was pretty sure she was choking Bluestreak, since the dragon smoothed her flight out and went into a more horizontal direction. Still she couldn't get herself to loosen her deathgrip. The ground was way too far below and the fall would be very long and very deadly.

Why had she been so stupid and try to ride a dragon – a dragon from whom she already knew, that it was a very fast and agile flyer – without any protection or safety harness?, she scolded herself mentally. _Everyone_ in the village knew, that something to hold onto was indispensable while riding dragons, no matter what species of dragon. But here she was, stupid enough to try this with a Night Fury while people in their sane mind not even tried this with a Gronckle! She could probably only blame her being only half awake and the fact, that Bluestreak had simply overrun her with her request, before she could fully think that through. If she survived this, she would _never_ be that stupid again!, she vowed silently.

Bluestreak protested promptly to the rude treatment with a short snarl and Cailin forced herself to relax her grip at least a little bit. Since the dragon was flying just in a straight line and horizontally she couldn't slip from her back that easily any more.

_Look up and not down!_ Bluestreak commanded.

Cailin forced herself to obey, although it did cost her quite an effort. But finally she managed to look up and a wave of wonder rushed over her. The clouds above her glowed golden, orange and purple with the first light of day, they looked like out of paradise. Without even noticing she relaxed her grip on Bluestreaks neck and sat straight up. The wind blew into her face and made her hair fly and the marvelling sight that stretched from horizon to horizon let her forget completely how high in the air she was. She could not be afraid at such a sight!

Then the Night Fury flew a wide circle, barely flapping her wings and gliding on the air.

Cailin sighted contently.

_This is just awesome!,_ she whispered.

_Told you,_ Bluestreak answered smugly. _And wait until my wing is strong enough to do some_ real _flying and not that tame crawling around_!

_Before you do this, I need a saddle!,_ Cailin blurted.

_A saddle?_ Apparently the dragon had no idea what that was.

_Yes, and something to tie me to it or otherwise I either choke_ _you_ _to death or you can collect what smear is left of me after_ _I fell to my death!_

Bluestreak turned her head as far as possible to take a look at her and apparently noticed the lack of support for her rider.

_Alright,_ she sighed wearily and rolled her eyes. _I just hope that thing is comfortable!_

_Believe me, so do I! My rear end is already hurting pretty much! As smooth as your scales are, they are astonishingly uncomfortable to sit on!_

Bluestreak just snorted at that and went so suddenly into a steep dive, that Cailin started to scream and immediately threw her arms around the dragons neck again. Despite the neck-breaking speed of the dive, Bluestreak landed rather smoothly by flipping her wings out at the last possible moment.

The moment her feet touched the ground, Cailin slipped from her back and let herself fall to the ground, panting as heavily as if she had just run some miles.

_I definitely need a safety harness!,_ she muttered and tried to get her shaking body back under control.

_What did you just say concerning my scales?,_ Bluestreak canted from her side.

_They are smooth!,_ Cailin choked out. Gods, that dragon was _sensitive_!

Finally she was able to catch her breath and start breathing normally again and her legs didn't thread to give in on her any moment anymore.

_Well, let's say, we get ourselves a breakfast and then go to the master of leather_, Cailin suggested.

_I want something, that doesn't hinder my speed!,_ Bluestreak instantly demanded.

_Whatever you want as long as it keeps me on your back! And I think a possibility to get some medicine bags on you as well. Not much, just enough to treat most illnesses._ Cailin caught herself already in making plans.

_Why do I already feel like a mule?,_ growled Blue, although she didn't sound _too_ annoyed.

_You wanted to choose a healer, now deal with it!,_ the girl laughed teasingly.

_Imagine us being the fastest healer-team around, it will be_ awesome! And _at least I will always be able to treat any injuries we might gather! _Obviously the human was warming up to the idea besides her earlier dread at flying so fast.

_You_ do _know that I don't plan on breaking my wing again, right?_, Bluestreak asked drily.

_No one knows what will happen next! Better to be prepared! _Cailin patted her friend on the shoulder and then suddenly made a dash for the healers house, calling: _Who is last has to carry the water for the ill!, _as she run.

Bluestreak was momentarily too surprised to react, but then she rushed after the human with big leaps. She would certainly _not_ carry _water_!


End file.
